Worksheet 2: Renaissance food - Examines the cookery and food
of the Renaissance; information about feasts and the availability of foods

Grace before the Meal, by Anthonius Claessins, c. 1538-1613.

Renaissance Cookery

Medieval and Renaissance cooking was not, as is so easily assumed today, a
dubious practice that produced inedible dishes filled with strange spices and
dangerous ingredients. Cooks of the time used many of the same type of foodstuffs
that are in use today, in addition to forms of food preparation that would be
familar to any of us. The dishes and recipes they prepared were neither inedible
nor dangerous, but extremely delicious and tasty products that employed the
finest meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables their society was capable of developing.
Then as now, mankind knew what tasted good, and the sauces, stews, pies, roasts,
and soups that satisfied the 14th century family are just as wholesome and enjoyable
today.

Dirk de Bray (c. 1620 to 1678) Domestic Scene

Indeed the hardest part of creating Renaissance food is often understanding
the recipes. The measurements, if any, are unfamiliar as is the spelling and
at times the terms used. Look at this recipe, what do you think it is for?

Yes, it's a recipe for Gingerbread, here it is again in modern English.

Gingerbread

1 c honey

1 c breadcrumbs

1 t ginger

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t saunders

1 T sugar

30-40 whole cloves (~ 1 t) (or 5 t sugar, pinch powdered cloves)

Bring honey to a boil, simmer two or three minute, stir in breadcrumbs with
a spatula until uniformly mixed. Remove from heat, stir in ginger, pepper, and
saunders. When it is cool enough to handle, knead it to get spices thoroughly
mixed. Put it in a box (I used a square corning-ware container with a lid),
squish it flat and thin, sprinkle with sugar and put cloves ornamentally around
the edge. Leave it to let the clove flavor sink in; do not eat the cloves. An
alternative way of doing it is to roll into small balls, roll in sugar mixed
with a pinch of cloves, then flatten them a little to avoid confusion with hais.
This is suitable if you are making them today and eating them tomorrow.

Gutting a Hare, Hans Burgkmair, early 16th century

Foods of the Renaissance

Many foods of our time have been discovered, developed or introduced since
the Renaissance. Indeed, the Renaissance did bring many new foodstuffs to Europe,
but it took considerable time for many of these things to become generally accepted
and known. Here is a list of some of the foods which did not come into use until
late or after the Renaissance.

Allspice - a New World food item, also called Jamaican Pepper.

Artichokes

Bananas - known about, but still a foreign fruit and considered exotic.

Broccoli

Chili Peppers

Chocolate - New World discovery.

Cocoa - New World.

Coffee - did not reach Europe until after the Middle Ages.

Cranberries

Green Beans

Green Peppers

Iceburg Lettuce - modern development of the lettuce

Indian Corn -our modern corn, the large cobs with yellow, white, or brown
kernels.

Kiwi fruit.

Margarine - an invention of the modern food-chemistry industry.

Peanuts

Pineapple

Potatoes - despite their association with Ireland, potatoes originally came
from South America made poular late in the Renaissance.

Red Peppers (capsicums)

Yellow Peppers

Rhubarb - like the banana, possibly known about but never used.

Shortening - an invention of the modern food-chemistry industry.

Tea - did not reach Europe until after the Middle Ages.

Turkey - Turkey is a New World food that reached Asia Minor only after 1500
and did not come into general use in Europe until well after the Renaissance.

Tomatoes - a member of the Nightshade family, it was considered inedible
or poisonous.

Vanilla Bean

Yams - New World.

This did not mean that there was less variety of flavours - on the contrary,
cooks of the Renaissance worked with many foodstuff and herbs which we no longer
use today. and still created fantastic meals. Basically, people have always
known what tasted good and good cooks have always found ways to improve on the
flavour of their raw materials.

Artist unknown, c 1490 kitchen scene

A Renaissance feast

Here is an example of a Renaissance wedding feast, as you can see the flavours
are varied. You will notice that there is a lot of meat served, meat was not
necessarily on your everyday diet, but was served on special occasions. It is
likely that little meat was eaten on a daily basis, and that occasions such
as these were used to display the largesse of the host. A good thing too as
this food is observeably heavy in fats, proteins and stuff guaranteed to make
your capillaries scream for mercy.